Ecology adopts SEPA rule changes

OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) has adopted a new
rule that increases the flexible thresholds local governments may adopt to
exempt certain minor new construction projects from review under the State
Environmental Policy Act (SEPA).

Enacted in 1971, SEPA helps state and local agencies in Washington identify
possible environmental impacts that could result from governmental decisions
such as issuing permits for private projects, constructing public facilities, or
adopting regulations, policies or plans.

SEPA applies to all state and local agency decisions including state
agencies, cities, counties, ports and special districts such as school and water
districts.

Every year, state and local agencies in Washington use SEPA to evaluate about
6,000 proposed decisions. Information learned through the review process can be
used to change a proposal to reduce likely impacts, apply conditions to or deny
a proposal when adverse environmental impacts are identified.

SEPA also gives local governments the option to allow some minor construction
projects, depending on their size and scale, to be exempt from review.

To comply with a law passed by the 2012 Washington Legislature and approved
by Gov. Chris Gregoire, Ecology’s new rule increases the size and scale
thresholds for building projects local governments can choose to be exempt from
SEPA review, including:

Small-scale residential
housing developments.

Office, school and
commercial buildings with adjoining parking lots under a certain size.

Agricultural structures
within a specific square footage.

Minor landfill and
excavation activities.

The exemption levels will vary depending whether a proposed project would be
located in a city, unincorporated areas inside an urban growth area, or in a
county that is or is not planning under the state Growth Management Act.

Besides increasing the flexible thresholds for minor construction projects,
the new rule also:

Makes the SEPA checklist
more efficient by allowing checklists to be submitted electronically to lead
state and local agencies and give agencies the ability to skip irrelevant
checklist questions when considering changes to plans, programs or policies.

Expands the exemption
threshold for electrical utilities from 55,000 to 115,000 volts in existing
rights-of-way and developed utility corridors.

Ecology will conduct a second, broader round of SEPA rule revisions later
this year.